


The Smile

by freeasthebirds



Category: DCU, DCU (Animated), Teen Titans (Animated Series), Teen Titans Go!
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-08
Updated: 2014-02-08
Packaged: 2018-01-11 14:10:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1174011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freeasthebirds/pseuds/freeasthebirds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The smile on Beast Boy's face never wavered. He would take the insults that were thrown at him. Raven learnt to smile because of Beast Boy; he showed her that she was not alone. Meanwhile, Starfire realized that Beast Boy was the light of the team.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Smile

The Smile  
It didn’t matter if it was sunny or rainy, hot or cold or dry or wet. It could be the end of the world, but still Beast Boy would smile. His bright and cheerful smile could lift his friends’ moods even on the darkest of days. Sometimes the Titans would be annoyed and angered by how happy he always was, especially when they are in a bad mood.  
Beast Boy would take the insults that were thrown at him and endure the physical pain his friends inflicted on him when they got a little carried away during training. Beast Boy could have retaliated, he could have shown his teammates how much stronger he was than them, but instead, his face shone with an even brighter smile, its radiance practically blinded his teammates.  
The smile on Beast Boy’s face never wavered. It was fixed to his face like glue and cement. To see something other than a smile on his face would be wrong. Beast Boy was the light of the team; he brought happiness and hope to the Titans. Without him, the Titans would fall like pawns on a chess board.  
When you ask Beast Boy: why do you always smile? He would beam at you and answer, “Why wouldn’t I? I’m smiling to show the world how happy I am!”  
Beast Boy smiles because he knows that a small smile can brighten up someone’s day, whether it was a friend, ally, enemy or stranger. Because of this, the people of Jump City have nicknamed Beast Boy as the ‘Smiling Titan’. Smiling helped Beast Boy to be seen as less of a freak and more human.  
Beast Boy knows that there are many people that are drowning under all the pressure and stress they have to face everyday. Beast Boy wants to help these people by bringing a little light to their lives. He knows a smile will not make a big impact in these people’s lives, but still he’ll try, because it’s in Beast Boy nature to help people, whether the people will appreciate it or not.  
Beast Boy does not smile for himself. No, he smiles for people. When you flash a smile at somebody, you’ll find that somehow, they’ll mirror your smile, until the both of you are smiling from ear to ear. All these years, Beast Boy has been smiling for people who have mistreated and insulted him. 

 

“Beast Boy, have you done the dishes yet?” Robin called to him.  
Beast Boy’s smile strained slightly. “No, but I’m going to do it now. Don’t worry, dude, I won’t break them.”  
“Okay. Don’t make the kitchen a warzone like last time.” Robin said before walking off.  
Beast Boy forced a bigger grin onto his face as he walked over to the kitchen sink. He has found it harder and harder to smile lately. He didn’t get it; it used to be so easy. Now he has difficulty just keeping a small smile on his face. What was wrong with him?

 

Smile. That was what the advice her k’norfka had given her before she was taken by the Gordanians. She had answered almost immediately; of course she would smile. It’s what she did almost everyday, wasn’t it? Later, she realized that smiling was not as easy as it sounded, especially when one was being held captive by hideous and terrifying creatures. But young Starfire smiled, and it gave her hope. Hope that she will escape, that she will be free. It was that hope that gave her the strength to finally break free from the prison cell.  
When she landed on a small, blue planet called Earth, she found friends. Friends that stood by her side and helped her fight the Gordanians. Starfire smiled as they decided to form a team, the Teen Titans. She loved her new friends, they were unlike the ones she had on Tamaran, who only wanted to be friends due to her royal status. Her new friends were friendly, kind and nice. However, one Titan in particular stood out to her. While it was true that she felt a bit of attraction towards the masked leader, she was drawn to another member, the green shape shifter.  
His smile was so radiant that Starfire felt as if she was absorbing the sun rays when he was near. Starfire was intrigue; how could one smile as much as Beast Boy? She had never encountered another individual that smiled as much as him. The smile on Beast Boy’s face gave her the motivation to smile more. The dark and depressing thoughts she sometimes had at night seemed to disappear as Beast Boy’s light shone on her.

From the moment she was born, Raven was locked up in the temple and kept away from the world. The monks told her that she must lock up all her emotions and never let it show or her powers would wreak great destruction. She resisted this at first. Because how could she lock up all her emotions? She wanted to smile when she flew down the halls, cry when her mother was only allowed to spend two hours a day with her and scream in anger when she found out her father, Trigon had destroyed many worlds and universes. But slowly, throughout the years, Raven learnt to accept herself for who she was. She was a demon. If she showed her emotions, she could harm many innocent people with her destructive powers.  
A few years later, Raven was forced to flee to Earth as Trigon’s minions tore through Azarath in search for her. Raven felt guilt and sadness, but she pushed the feelings down before she registered what she felt.  
On Earth, Raven was invited to join the Teen Titans, a crime-fighting group of heroes. She accepted the offer, because she had nowhere to go. Even though she lived with her teammates, fought crime with them, and ate with them, she still locked herself in her room and kept herself away from the world. The other Titans had tried to persuade her to come out of the room and join them with their activities, but after a few tries, they had given up and left her in peace.  
But there was one Titan who never stopped trying to get her out of her room. Raven felt irritated that he never left her alone. She insulted him in hopes that he’d go away, but he never backed down. The changeling was adamant that he would get her out of her room one day. Raven didn’t like Beast Boy because she was scared by how bright and positive his emotions were. Even Starfire’s emotions were not as strong as his. Raven had difficulty blocking out Beast Boy’s emotions at times.  
“You think you’re alone, Raven, but you’re not.”  
Those were the words that Beast Boy told her after the Malchior fiasco. It was then that she realized he was right. She wasn’t alone. She had friends. Friends who cared for her and accepted her for who she was. And it was then that she allowed herself to smile, just a small smile, but a smile nevertheless. She finally embraced her teammates’ emotions and let it calm her down. She loved Beast Boy’s emotions the most though, the happiness that radiated from him were intoxicating but peaceful.

Beast Boy sighed and let his smile drop. His teammates exchanged confused and concerned looks.  
“Friend Beast Boy? Are you the okay?” Starfire questioned.  
“Yeah, man, you’re acting weird today.” Cyborg said worriedly.  
“No, I’m not okay. I just…”Beast Boy stopped and sighed again.  
“Did something happen while you were out today?” Raven asked.  
Beast Boy stood up and paced slightly, the frown that was starting to form looked out of place on his face. “No. I mean, well, I guess you could say it’s related.”  
“If there’s anything we can do to help, you know you can always-“  
Beast Boy cut Robin off. “You can’t! You guys don’t understand! Don’t you see how corrupted the world has become?”  
“What do you mean, BB?” Cyborg asked apprehensively.  
Beast Boy glanced at his teammates tiredly. “You guys really can’t see it, huh? I’m sorry, guys, but I can’t do it anymore.”  
“Can’t do what anymore? What’s going on, Beast Boy?” Robin said quickly, looking a little alarmed by the dark expression that suddenly crossed Beast Boy’s face.  
“Smiling. I can’t smile anymore. I can’t smile for people who don’t want to. All these years, I thought I was helping people, but I finally realized that I wasn’t making a difference at all. How can I help people if they don’t want to be helped?”  
“But friend Beast Boy, you are making the difference! You have changed our lives! We all smile more because of your smile! You have even made friend Raven smile!” Starfire exclaimed.  
“You don’t have to smile for us; you just have to smile for yourself.” Raven said.  
“I’m really sorry guys, but I can’t smile when I’m not happy. Smiling hurts now. I really can’t do this anymore.” Beast Boy whispered, exiting the common room, the doors closed behind him, closing this part of his life for good.


End file.
